10th of May. 1756
S^r
The alarming Accounts that we have lately received from
the Frontiers of Virg^a & which by your Letter dated the 29^th
of April are confirmed give me great concern but I hope the
Steps you have taken will in some sort put a Stop to such
Incursions tho that can never be effectually done till a sufficient
Body of Troops can be formed to march & annoy the Enemy
in their own Country & when that will be I know not unless
Troops are sent from Europe to these Colonies for I hear the
Pensilvanians have not come to any Resolution to grant farther
Supplies nor do they seem much disposed to raise any Men to
be marched out of that province. Our Assembly is still sitting,
some Gentⁿ from each House have been more than a week
conferring on the Subject Matter of a Supply Bill, I beleive
there will be one passed but by what I can find t'will be framed
in such a manner as to contribute little to the Safety of the
Province or promote His Majesty's Service. A Fort it seems
is to be built on the North Mountain about 10 Miles above the
Mouth of Conegochiegh, & 200 Men are to be raised to garrison
it & patroll or range on our Frontiers; in Case Troops were
to be raised by yours & the neighboring Colonies to act in
Conjunction & together form a sufficient Body of Men to act
offensively or carry on an Expedition to the Westward I am to
have Liberty to raise more Men in Maryland & to expend
£25,000 on such Expedition. By what I can learn your Reg-
iment does not yet amount to 500, which I am afraid are not
found more than enough to garrison Fort Cumberland & keep
open the Communication between that place & the Inhabitants;
if you are of a different Opinion or should your Assembly
enable you to compleat the Regiment or support any consid-
erable Number of Troops I shall be much obliged to you for
informing me by Express what Number you can engage to
furnish for an Expedition that I might give Directions accord-
ingly, for as I have already hinted I cannot tho our Bill should
pass proceed to raise more than 200 Men before I have
received assurances that they will be joined by a certain &
proportionable Number from Virg^a & one or more of the
Neighbouring provinces. I have not heard that much Mischief
has been lately done on our Frontiers but if there had I am
convinced by Experience that t'would be impossible for me to
get the Militia to move & oppose the Enemy. At present
Capt Dagworthy's Company & two or three Parties of Rangers
are posted at & about Conegochiegh to keep the Inhabitants
a little easy & together till the Assembly come to some Con-